Next to Minesweeper and Facebook, Microsoft's nifty little Paint utility might go down as the one of the all-time great time wasters while toiling away at work. While the clock goes tick-tock, one way to pass the time is to doodle on your desktop using Paint, and there is actually some very good artwork that has been created with the simplistic program. Sadly (for some), Paint may be about to kick the bucket—it is among the list of features that Microsoft plans to remove or deprecate when rolling out the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10.

If you are looking for a glimmer of hope, it's that Microsoft Paint falls into the "deprecated" category. That means it is "not in active development and might be removed in future releases." That is slightly better than being in the "removed" category, which covers features and functions in Windows 10 that will definitely be removed from the current release. So, Paint will still ship with the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10, but not being in active development means it is on borrowed time and will likely be dumped sometime down the road.

While there is some nostalgic appeal to Paint, it is somewhat redundant with Windows 10 also shipping with Paint 3D, a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app that picks up where Paint leaves off and is intended to replace it. Paint 3D offers additional features not found in its predecessor.

"Whether you’re an artist or just want to try out some doodles–Paint 3D makes it easy to unleash your creativity and bring your ideas to life. Classic Paint has been reimagined, with an updated look and feel and a ton of new brushes and tools. And now, create in every dimension. Make 2D masterpieces or 3D models that you can play with from all angles," Microsoft explains.

Microsoft has earmarked several other programs and features for the chopping block, including 3D Builder, Outlook Express, Reader, screen saver functionality in Themes, TPM owner password management, and more. And there are many others that are joining Paint in the deprecated category, such as Windows PowerShell 2.0, System Image Backup (SIS) Solution (Microsoft recommends using full-disk backup solutions from other vendors), IIS Digest Authentication, and a few others.